Whiz Kid: Whitney Yost Takes on the World

Palisades seventh-grader Whitney Yost can do it all. In addition to contributing her photography skills to Patch, this straight-A student also participates in a myriad of social, academic and physical activities. She has been bungee jumping, elephant riding, hang gliding, can run a mile in under seven minutes, and is a certified scuba diver with time spent on the Great Barrier Reef.

Whitney has been playing volleyball competitively on the Pacific Palisades Volleyball Club Keapa 13 team for four years and has volunteered her time with the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis by teaching origami. This summer will be Whitney's third in the Junior Lifeguard training program at Will Rogers State Beach. Whitney has performed in The Wizard of Oz at Palisades Theater; she can also backpack, rock climb and snow ski double black diamond runs at Mammoth Mountain. In addition, Whitney is Red Cross certified in first aid, babysitting and life saving.

That's a pretty long list for a 12-year-old.